It's been a couple weeks

Well, a so-called soft launch of Hound Central 5.0 is about two weeks old. Thankfully, we've had NHL players and prospects filling rinks here in Hockey Bay as well as South Florida and Toronto before NHL training camps open, giving me and others something to cheer and, when the mood strikes, write about.

Heck, there's even a hounding report on the Oshawa Generals.

I imagine, too, I'll come back with a closing post, more detailed in plans and goals for Hound Central 5.0. Until then, feel free to peruse any of the many stories from the 2008-09 hockey hounding campaign here at Hound Central 4.0.

And, if you haven't visited it yet, Hound Central 5.0 has its own YouTube channel, HockeyBay Hound.

And, as always, please know that I truly appreciate your support. It's something I can't say enough. Thanks, folks.

Flashbacks 08.10

Here's another player's-only stroll down hockey-hounding memory lane:

March 9, 2009: St. Louis' T.J. Oshie
Jan. 31, 2009: Hall of Famer Joey Mullen
Dec. 28, 2007: Montreal's Carey Price
Nov. 26, 2006: Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson
Dec. 29, 2005: Toronto's Matt Stajan

Yeah, me, too

I know we're dab smack in the dog days of summer, when thoughts of baseball, beaches and back-to-school bargains fill our minds, but I still can't get my mind off of hockey.

Watching Colin play, I suppose, has a lot to do with it. But so do the autographed pucks and cards, snagged during the 2008-09 campaigns final days and over the summer, I still have to put away. And, from what I hear, NHL players will be skating soon, prepping for training camps.

Bottom line, though, is that I'm not alone.

An overwhelming majority of Hound Central 4.0 readers who took part in the last quiz -- which asked whether they were missing hockey -- were looking forward to the 2009-10 NHL season and the corresponding hockey-hounding campaign.

Question: Jonesin' for hockey?

Yes: 15 out of 18 votes cast (83.3 percent)
No: 3 out of 18 votes (16.7 percent)

The three dissenting votes? Must've been Loafs fans.

And, really, can you blame them?

No surprise here

Eyebrows didn't even flinch this time. Going in, I knew, without even a hint of doubt, that Hound Central 4.0's readers would show off their hockey IQ. Know what? I wasn't disappointed.

An overwhelming majority, picking with their heads more than their hearts, said John Tavares would be picked first overall at next Friday's NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. Hands down, too.

The margin of victory? Not even close. Huge, even. Then again, that was a given. Not even Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene combined could top the Next One of 2009.

The $10 million endorsement deal question now -- across the hockey spectrum, including here at Hound Central 4.0 -- is whether or not Tavares lands on Long Island or, perhaps, elsewhere. I know there's a few Loafs fans who think he'd look real good in blue and white.

It won't be long now.

Question: No. 1 overall pick

John Tavares: 20 out of 36 votes cast (55.5 percent)
Victor Hedman: 10 out of 36 votes (27.8 percent)
Matt Duchene: 6 out of 36 votes (16.7 percent)

The envelopes, please

After careful tabulations, double-blind accounting and pacts of secrecy authenticated by verification experts at the highest levels, the inaugural edition of the Hockey Bay Hounding Awards have finally arrived on the shores of Tampa Bay.

In the moments ahead, you'll find yourselves nodding in agreement, shrinking away in horror and, occasionally, shaking your head in disagreement. That's exactly what we're hoping for, at least.

Before we get to the winners, though, Hound Central 4.0 would like to thank everyone who has visited this chronicle of the 2008-09 hockey-hounding campaign. Using an incalculable payment of your free time, your presence and attention is the greatest reward we could ever receive. Again, thank you.

Now, let's see who's winning nothing more than a mention here at Hound Central 4.0:

Hound of the Year: Awarded to the hound who consistently racks up quality autographs on a diverse platform of memorabilia. Winner: Chris

Autograph of the Year: Awarded to the hound who scores an autograph from one of hockey's best players -- past or present -- during the course of a season. Winner: Ryan, for his team-signed picture, shown above, of Louie, the St. Louis Blues mascot.

Rookie of the Year: Awarded to a hound who excels in his/her first full Hockey Bay season. Winner: Ryan

Lifetime Achievement Award: Honors a veteran Hockey Bay hound for their dedication, knowledge and product of their efforts. Winner: Ron (Thanks, folks)

Best Supporting Hound: Awarded to the hound(s) who assists in the collection of autographs. Winner: Three-way tie -- Andy, Scott and Colin

Meatball of the Year: Awarded to a hound who displays a clear lack of thought and consideration toward his peers. Winner: Meatball

Best Original Score: Awarded to the hound obtaining an autograph(s) on a rare or peculiar piece of memorabilia. Winner: Jamie, for getting game-used sticks signed twice by each player. Don't ask me why, ask him.

NHL awards

Nicest NHL player: San Jose's Jeremy Roenick

Snottiest NHL player: Toronto's Curtis Joseph

Best-signing team: Dallas Stars

Worst-signing team: Washington Capitals

Best-dressed player: Atlanta's Garnet Exelby, for his fedora alone

Like looking at pictures?

Good. Check out these five galleries from the 2008-09 hockey-hounding season down here in Hockey Bay:

April 8, 2009: Pittsburgh Penguins
March 18, 2009: Toronto Maple Leafs (my favorite)
March 7, 2009: St. Louis Blues
Feb. 23, 2009: Boston Bruins
Feb. 18, 2009: Chicago Blackhawks

Update: 10 Big Sigs

Before the 2008-09 hockey hounding season down here in Hockey Bay, I predicted that these items would be added to the collection.

Let's see how I did:

No. 10: Montreal's Saku Koivu on the Canadiens' legends jersey - Did not obtain

No. 9: Dallas' Brad Richards on a Stars puck

No. 8: San Jose's Dan Boyle on a Sharks puck

No. 7: A team-signed Boston Bruins jersey

No. 6: New Jersey's Martin Brodeur on a replica jersey

No. 5: Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby on Colin's #87 Penguins jersey - Did not obtain.

No. 4: Columbus' Rick Nash on Blue Jackets and Team Canada pucks

No. 3: Pucks from Chicago's Patrick Kane (Blackhawks, London Knights and Team USA) and Jonathan Toews (Blackhawks, Team Canada and University of North Dakota)

No. 2: Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Henrik Zetterberg on Red Wings pucks

No. 1: Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin (provided he stays), Columbus' Fredrik Modin (provided he stays healthy) and Toronto's Pavel Kubina on our Tampa Bay Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup Champions items. - Not a single item.

Looking back, it wasn't a great season, but it wasn't bad. Though Crosby signed during his visits to Hockey Bay, I missed getting him to sign. Perhaps, too, I overshot on the goals for the Red Wings. And Koivu signed a Canadiens team helmet instead.

The biggest disappointment, though, was not adding to the Tampa Bay Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup Champions items. One would think that the No. 1 item on the 10 Big Sigs campaign would take precedence, but a combination of players not traveling to Hockey Bay (Khabibulin and Modin) and simply forgetting (Kubina) worked against me.

Still, I'm happy to have added what we did. I'm sure, too, that this project will return for the 2009-10 hockey hounding campaign. This time, though, I'll have to keep my eyes on the prize, won't I?

Reasons to believe

Every so often, in my hockey-hounding travels, I stumble upon a piece of hockey memorabilia that appears to have seen some game action in the National Hockey League. In this case, it's a right-handed goalie catching glove from Daren Puppa, who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Though it didn't come with any certificate of authenticity (which, really, is worth only the paper it's printed upon, no matter the dealer), the personalization on the cuff certainly adds a touch of credibility.

Further evidence, I believe, is that a quick image search at google.com yielded photographs of him wearing a glove like this.

The only way to be certain, I suppose, is to ask Puppa if it is, indeed, one of his game-used gloves. Someday, our paths will cross. Hopefully, he'll sign it. I'll ask him then.

My two favorite things about the glove: The eyes atop The Hook and the fact that it cost less than $25.

It never hurts to ask

This week's 5 Big Sigs, a feature within each Sunday morning homily where I name the top autographs I hope to get within the next seven days, included a trio of pucks from Columbus' Mike Peca.

A Hound Central 4.0 reader cautioned me, though, that I might have difficulties getting the veteran center to sign even puck for me. Still, I had to ask when the opportunity arose.

I mean, it's not like I've haven't heard "no" before.

Well, not only did Peca sign two of the three pucks listed, but this Maple Leafs puck is the 300th of the 2008-09 campaign.

Don't listen to Cujo

Though the team's star power may have dulled a bit over the past season, with Mats Sundin's move to southwestern Canada and the deadline-day trades of Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore, that's no reason to take a pass on hounding the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The roster still has a few big names and, despite goalie Curtis Joseph's best effort to ruin our days, not every Leafs player is opposed to signing autographs. In fact, I believe the three pucks shown above -- signed Tuesday before Toronto's morning skate by, from left, Tomas Kaberle, Jamal Mayers and Luke Schenn -- prove otherwise.

All told, another 18 autographs, including a dozen cards, joined the collection. A dozen from the Bolts pushed the day's haul to 30.

Still, though, there was no need for Lord Cujo's vitriol. If a player doesn't want to sign, all they have to do is say no. We're all grown-ups here, except, of course, a certain goalie. We've heard "no" before and we'll likely hear it again.

Dishing out grief while still signing, I'm afraid, is a bush-league move.

One player, however, whose reputation may be in need of changing is Jason Blake. Though I've heard that he's a less-than-willing signer, I've yet to see him decline an autograph request over the past two seasons.

This trip, Blake signed the work-in-progress Team USA jersey. Last trip, he signed a University of North Dakota puck.

Then again, I'm not asking him to sign a stack of 8x10s. I'm not so sure the grumpy label is worth sticking on Blake anymore.

Signing cards were, from left, Nikolai Kulemin, Matt Stajan and Anton Stralman.

Beyond dealing with Lord Cujo, here are the rest of Tuesday's memorable moments:

~ Getting four cards each from Boyd Devereaux and Lee Stempniak;
~ Honoring Brad May's contribution to Buffalo Sabres lore; and
~ Getting some quick positive reinforcement from Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos.

Need a chuckle? Check out the Loafs gallery.

Four's plenty

Perhaps I am too much of a kid at heart. But, at 47, I still get psyched whenever a player signs four cards at a time.

Why four cards? I'm not greedy enough for nine-boards. Besides, my card book holds only four cards per player.

On Tuesday, Toronto's Boyd Devereaux and Lee Stempniak had no trouble signing more than one card.

Oh, Cujo, grow up

Deep down inside, I should just be happy that Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph stopped to sign this Notre Dame Hounds prep school puck Tuesday morning as he made his way to Tuesday's morning skate.

But I can't. It's my duty as a hockey-hounding blogger to share this story:

After barking at us that he would sign -- "Just one, guys!" -- Lord Cujo, God's gift to hockey and self-appointed spokesman for his teammates, added this jewel:

"It ruins our days when we see you."

Oh, really? That's nice to know. I suggest hockey hounds all across North America put this information to good use.

Thanks for the memory

When it comes to a player like Toronto's Brad May, there's no problem calling him a pest. He's the kind of player who fans either applaud or loathe.

For Sabres fans, he's the "May Day! May Day! May Day!" call by announcer Rick Jeanneret after May sent the Boston Bruins packing in the 1993 Adams semis.

On a side note, this puck, which May signed on his way to Tuesday's morning skate, was the 1,500th of the 2008-09 hounding campaign.

Gallery: Toronto Maple Leafs

The biggest difference between this photo gallery of Toronto Maple Leafs players signing autographs and one submitted by Al, Hound Central 4.0's Toronto correspondent? There's no snow in this one.

Left winger Jason Blake may not be the biggest fan of signing, but he does stop. Here, he signs two team posters.

Defenseman Tomas Kaberle signs before the team's morning skate.

Right winger Lee Stempniak, another Buffalo kid in the NHL, is no stranger to blue Sharpies. He's always good for multiple autographs.

True to form, noted hound-hater Curtis Joseph, in his second stint with the Loafs, brays at Hockey Bay hounds.

(Our most sincere apologies to the donkey.)

Gallery: Toronto Maple Leafs

Here's something a little different: a hounding gallery from up in Toronto taken during the holiday break.

How can I tell? Well, if memory serves me correctly, that looks like snow in the background of Vesa Toskala photo. Or, at least it looks like snow. We don't get too much of that down here in Hockey Bay.

And I can recognize a few of the Loafs.

A tip of the roughed-up Cooper SK600 to Al, the long-suffering Leafs fan and Toronto correspondent for Hound Central 4.0, for his contributions:

Rookie defenseman Luke Schenn stops to sign before a practice;

Wow! Look at this! Goalie Curtis Joseph deeming someone worthy of his signature. Then again, as Al points out, it was the holidays. I guess Cujo likes Tim Horton's coffee.

A cup of Tim Horton's coffee in hand, forward Alexei Ponikarovsky signs a Leafs jersey; and

I'm not sure what he's signing, but goalie Vesa Toskala supplies an autograph.

Loafs aren't that bad

Being a Buffalo Sabres fan, it is my Hockey Gods-given duty to heap as much grief upon the Toronto Maple Loafs organization as I can. However, seeing that I'm a hockey fan as well, I feel the need to honor the Original Six franchise.

With that in mind, allow me to introduce to you the hockey-hounding efforts of my Canadian friend, Al, a long-suffering Loafs fan since childhood and, much to his credit, someone taking the time to do the hobby right. He's Hound Central 4.0's latest correspondent.

Here's a look at some of Al's recent and ongoing efforts:

Toronto Maple Leafs all-time jersey

Take a look at some of the top-shelf signers on this sweet Dave Keon replica jersey, a project spanning 15-plus years.



Toronto Maple Leafs team stick

Al had 19 players sign this stick recently at Lakeshore Lions Arena, the Leafs' practice facility, missing only Curtis Joseph, who blew right on by, and Luke "L.S." Schenn, who said he was running late and would sign after the practice.

From left: Nikolai Kulemin, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Tomas Kaberle, Jonas Frogren, Justin Pogge, Vesa Toskala and Dominic Moore (since traded to the Buffalo Sabres);

From left: Nik Antropov (since traded to N.Y. Rangers), Boyd Devereaux and Mike Van Ryn;

From left: Jason Blake (partially obscured), Jeff Finger, Jaime Sifers and John Mitchell;

From left: Pavel Kubina, Ian White and Lee Stempniak; and

From left: Lee Stempniak (again), Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski.

Trade analysis

A few thoughts on the 22 NHL deadline-day deals that went down today:

Most interesting

Toronto gets G Olaf Kolzig, and D Jamie Heward and D Andy Rogers -- three players dealing with injuries -- and a fourth-round pick in 2009 from Tampa Bay for minor-leaguer D Richard Petoit.

My take: This deals smells like a favor, so Tampa Bay can dump some salary. Doesn't it? I won't be surprised when the other shoe drops with Toronto. How about Leafs D Tomas Kaberle for RW Marty St. Louis?

Thumbs up

~ Buffalo gets C Dominic Moore from Toronto for a 2009 second-round pick. He'll add some more grit to the Sabres lineup.

~ Boston gets RW Mark Recchi and a 2010 second-round draft pick from Tampa Bay for F Martins Karsums and D Matt Lashoff. A third Stanley Cup ring should punch Old Man Recchi's ticket to hockey's
hallowed hall.

~ Phoenix gets F Nigel Dawes, D Dmitri Kalinin and F Petr Prucha for D Derek Morris. I'd make this three-for-one trade, especially because it includes Dawes, day after day after day.

Thumbs down

~ Florida gets D Steve Eminger from Tampa Bay for D Noah Welch and a 2009 third-round pick. The Panthers will be Eminger's third team this season. At least he had a chance to make the playoffs. With all due respect to Welch, I'd rather Eminger stuck around Hockey Bay.

~ C Patrick O'Sullivan, acquired earlier from Los Angeles for Carolina's LW Justin Williams, moved again, with a 2009 second-round pick, to Edmonton for LW Erik Cole. It would've been cool had O'Sullivan, who grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C, and played youth hockey in Raleigh, suited up with the Hurricanes.

Update

I guess the high-ranking source had no clue what he was talking about. I thought it sounded kinda shaky. I hope the surgery went well.

Equal opportunity

Just because I grew up in Western New York, where despising the Toronto Maple Leafs is a God-given right, doesn't mean that I won't try to add autographs from the team's players. Even at the most basic level, the Leafs have that Original Six appeal. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are NHL history.

That alone, I believe, makes them worthy of hounding.

Or, at least, that's my reason for spending the better part of today over in Tampa, hounding members of the storied, but stumbling, franchise. Yes, my wife would have preferred I stayed home to tend to laundry and other household chores, but a hound has to do what a hound has to do. Sorry, dear.

And after scoring 51 autographs, including 24 cards and 19 players on Colin's team sheet, I really should cut the Loafs some slack. Then again, a Sabres fan has to do what a Sabres fan has to do. Sorry, guys.

So, who signed the pucks shown above? Here's who:

From left: Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin (a rare doubling-up as I was trying to preserve a spare Leafs puck just in case Joe Nieuwendyk poked his head out the hotel door), Brad May and Lee Stempniak.

Also, here's a sampling of the two dozen cards we got signed:

From left: Nikolai Antropov, Jeff Finger, Jonas Frogren and Niklas Hagman

From left: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan, Vesa Toskala and Ian White

From left: Ryan Hollweg, Jamal Mayers and Dominic Moore

Also worth mentioning:

~ Jason Blake paying homage to his alma mater;
~ Trying to decipher Luke Schenn's autograph; and
~ Basking in the glow of Colin's team sheet.

He's true to his school

It's no secret that Toronto's Jason Blake doesn't enjoy signing autographs. Oh, sure, he'll stop when asked, but he usually has a pained expression upon his face.

It's funny, though, when you drop a name that means something to him. No, I'm not talking about a favorite cousin or an old friend.

What I am talking about is his alma mater, the University of North Dakota.

Making his way back from the Leafs' morning skate earlier today, Blake tried pulling away from a handful of hounds until I asked if he would sign this North Dakota puck.

As you can see, it worked.

Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy

For the most part, I try to give NHL players -- especially the veterans -- the benefit of a doubt when it comes to the quality of their autograph. Over the course of a player's career, it's not unreasonable to guess they'll easily sign thousands of autographs.

What I can't understand, though, is some of today's younger players and the assorted scribbles and squiggles that somehow are supposed to represent their name.

Take these two pieces signed by Toronto's rookie defenseman Luke Schenn, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft. You're telling me either one says Luke Schenn? Sorry, buddy, but I don't think so.

In fact, our cat Bella could do a better job with a paint pen.

Now, I don't expect a letter-perfect autograph from each and every NHL player. But, a little differentiation between a first and last name would be appreciated. I don't think it's too much to ask, is it?